Update on my saga.

Mika sent me a holster for pocket carrying a BG380 which I did NOT want. I have a DeSantis that fits very well, much better than the holster he sent, and I asked for an IWB for my BG380, not a pocket carry. The holster is very loose on the BG380 and the gun flops around in it. So that one is going back.

I received the replacement IWB for my M&P 9c that Mika insisted he send because my slide was pushed out of battery when the M&P is pushed into the holster. The new holster is worse than the first. The front of the holster is tighter and there's not enough room for the slide. The slide bottoms out well before the frame. So I'll send that one back also.

My request was simple I thought. I want an IWB for my BG380 and my M&P9c.
After more than 5 months I still don't have the IWB for the 380, and the other holster Mika told me not to use because of the slide issue.

I like the materials he uses but the stitching varies quite a bit. The pocket holster he sent has loose stitching inside that catches on the sights and hangs the gun up. Sorry to say I'm giving up on Mika Holsters.

I own about a half dozenMika holsters. I think all of them but one are pocket holsters. Every one of them have been fantastic. I will admit, they are not going to win any awards for looks but they sure do work well.

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Centennial Every Day

Would I be correct in assuming that if I just ordered a standard pocket holster for a 442 on Bob's website and entered all needed particulars (barrel length, gun model, color, shape) that I WILL NOT get an order confirmation? Have you other folks that just ordered a routine holster (no custom requirements) just eventually received the holster in the mail or eventually received an email regarding your ship status?

I paid in full using PayPal, and did get a receipt for payment from them. I don't want to call Mika and interrupt his production to have him attend to administrative stuff. Just wanted to know if it was normal to not receive an order confirmation. Would hate to wait a month for the holster just to find out the order didn't go through.

(EDIT) This morning I received a call from Bob Mika stating he found my order (along with two others) that had been sitting in a SPAM file. He has no idea how they were routed there but he moved them to his in file. He said when he receives an order he usually phones the customer in quick fashion so I suppose that answers my question in my original post above.

Great holsters, great service, great guy.
I just ordered another one.

As long as this thread came back up I'll finalize my story.

I returned the two additional holsters Bob sent me. One was a replacement for the IWB that pushes my slide out of battery and the other was a pocket holster I never ordered.

The replacement IWB was tighter than the first and pushed the slide further out of battery when the gun was inserted.

Bob refused any payment for any of the holsters. I told him I would keep the first holster because... first of all I had ordered it... and secondly I wanted to see how it wears and breaks in as I had never had that material before. I had also modified it a bit by trimming some excess material and trying to stretch the base so the slide isn't pushed out of battery.

I told Bob I was paying for the holster I'm keeping and he flat out said if I send any money he would return it. Further more he said he would pay me for my time and trouble and if I refused payment he would make a donation to the DAV.

I sent the holsters back and he made a donation to the DAV. He refuses to be paid. That kind of makes me mad, because I don't want to be petty, I don't want to be cheap.

He's kind of a different bird... I like the design of his holsters, although I found the stitching quality varies. I had loose threads that snag on sights and stitching that wanders. He loses or misplaces some orders he gets.

On the good side I think he fulfills most orders quickly and refuses to charge for anything you are not completely happy with. He is quick to answer email and calls. I think he takes his product very seriously and genuinely wants to make the best holster on the market. A customer really isn't taking a chance buying a Mika holster, it's either everything you ever wanted or Bob takes it back and apologizes.

I know he reads these posts but that has not stopped me from telling the rest of you the straight scoop. I really hated sending that pocket holster he sent back to him because while it did fit my BG380 kind of sloppily (compared to my Desantis), I really wanted to try it on a small J frame. But I never ordered it so I wasn't about to use it then send it back.

Who knows what is going on in Bob's life now, maybe he is swamped with work, maybe he is nursing an old sewing machine along waiting for a new one, maybe he has other issues. We all have issues from time to time. But based on his responsiveness, his concern and his desire to make things right, I just want to buy his stuff! Unfortunately it doesn't work for me.

Someday I will see him at a show or maybe take a short trip to his shop and we can look at the holsters and discuss changes I need to make them right for me. That would work the best, to hold them and point at areas of concern and get his input face to face.

Indeed! I wish more businessmen I dealt with were his kind.

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Centennial Every Day

I've had a J frame pocket holster of his that's served well over many years. This past year I ordered a pocket holster for my Diamondback .380 online. He called within a week of the order to confirm everything. We ended up talking about hunting, being former cops from SoCal at one time and why we ended up moving to other parts. It was a great conversation and in the end, it was almost like friends catching up. The holster arrived shortly after and it works perfect, as it should.

Nothing but quality - wish more businesses in the U.S. would get back to this way of life.

I need to order one for myself, but which is better for a pocket holster, round cut or square cut?

Depends on the type of pants you wear really. Rear pockets often favor square cut, front jeans type pockets most often work best with round cut......then if you wear cargo pants often with larger front pockets or side cargo pockets, then the square cut works best I've found. Honestly, not a huge difference though....both will work.